German submarine U-852

History

Nazi Germany
Name:	U-852
Ordered:	20 January 1941
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	1058
Laid down:	15 April 1942
Launched:	28 January 1943
Commissioned:	15 June 1943
Fate:	Scuttled, 3 May 1944
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXD2 submarine
Displacement:	1,610 t (1,580 long tons) surfaced 1,799 t (1,771 long tons) submerged
Length:	87.58 m (287 ft 4 in) o/a 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	7.50 m (24 ft 7 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught:	5.40 m (17 ft 9 in)
Installed power:	9,000 PS (6,620 kW; 8,880 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) surfaced 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph) submerged
Range:	12,750 nmi (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 57 nmi (106 km; 66 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft)
Complement:	55 to 63
Armament:	6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 24 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun (150 rounds) anti-aircraft guns
Service record^[1]^[2]
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 15 June 1943 – 31 January 1944 12th U-boat Flotilla 1 February – 3 May 1944
Commanders:	Kptlt. Heinz-Wilhelm Eck 15 June 1943 – 3 May 1944
Operations:	1st patrol: 18 January – 3 May 1944
Victories:	2 commercial ships sunk (9,972 GRT)

German submarine U-852 was a Type IXD2 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Laid down in Bremen and completed in June 1943, the boat was a long-range Type IX, with four bow and two stern torpedo tubes and a Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 Bachstelze cable-towed lookout gyroglider.

She was commanded throughout her brief service life by Kapitänleutnant Heinz-Wilhelm Eck, who led her through her sea trials and onto her first war patrol on 18 January 1944.

For their actions against the survivors of a Greek steamer it sunk U-852's officers were the only Kriegsmarine submariners to be accused, prosecuted and convicted of war crimes during the Nuremberg Trials.

Design

German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. U-852 had a displacement of 1,610 tonnes (1,580 long tons) when at the surface and 1,799 tonnes (1,771 long tons) while submerged.^[3] The U-boat had a total length of 87.58 m (287 ft 4 in), a pressure hull length of 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in), a beam of 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in), a height of 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in), and a draught of 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines plus two MWM RS34.5S six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines for cruising, producing a total of 9,000 metric horsepower (6,620 kW; 8,880 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.85 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 200 metres (660 ft).^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph).^[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 121 nautical miles (224 km; 139 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,750 nautical miles (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-852 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 24 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 150 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) with 2575 rounds as well as two 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns with 8100 rounds. The boat had a complement of fifty-five.^[3]

SS Peleus

U-852's mission was to disrupt Allied communications in the Indian Ocean by attacking sea lanes there; this involved a high level of secrecy and so she had to avoid conflict on her passage. This plan was jeopardized when, on 13 March on the latitude of Freetown, she spotted the lone Greek steamer SS Peleus. Despite his mission, Eck decided to attack her, and, after stalking her until nightfall, sank her with two torpedoes. What followed has been the subject of much dispute.

The sinking Peleus left a large debris field, amongst which were an unknown number of survivors clinging to rafts and wreckage. As this field would have betrayed the presence of U-852 to aircraft and shipping patrolling the area, Eck decided to destroy the wreckage with hand grenades and automatic weapons.

Eck ordered his junior officers to fire into the wreckage. These junior officers were:

The ship's engineering officer, Hans Lenz (sentenced to life imprisonment)^[4]
The ship's doctor, Walter Weisspfennig (executed 30 November 1945)^[4]
The second in command August Hoffmann (executed 30 November 1945)^[4]
An enlisted engineer, Wolfgang Schwender (sentenced to 7 years imprisonment)

Eck was present during the incident, while the remaining crew were below decks. Eck was also executed 30 November 1945.^[4] As a result of this action, all but three of Peleus's 35-man crew perished.

SS Dahomian

The submarine was able to evade pursuit, and two weeks later encountered and sank the British cargo ship SS Dahomian, off Cape Town on 1 April. This time U-852 hastily left the scene, rather than pausing.

Capture

U-852 was in the Indian Ocean on 30 April 1944^[5] when she was spotted and attacked by a Vickers Wellington bomber flying from Aden. Damaged by aerial depth charges and unable to dive, she made for the Somali coast. Under attack there by six bombers of RAF 621 Squadron, Captain Eck was forced to beach his ship on a coral reef (9°32′N 50°59′E / 9.533°N 50.983°E / 9.533; 50.983Coordinates: 9°32′N 50°59′E / 9.533°N 50.983°E / 9.533; 50.983). Seven men were lost in the engagement; the remainder fled ashore. Fifty-eight were captured by Somaliland Camel Corps and local militia.

A British boarding party examined the wrecked U-boat and retrieved Eck's Kriegstagebuch ("War Diary"), which proved crucial in framing the Allied case against him and his men.^[6] Also of great interest was the Fa 330 Bachstelze rotor kite, a towed one-man aerial observation platform.^[1]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
13 March 1944	Peleus	Greece	4,695	Sunk
1 April 1944	Dahomian	United Kingdom	5,277	Sunk

References

1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXD2 boat U-852". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-852". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 74-75.
1 2 3 4 Sharpe (1998), p.148
↑ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The U-Boat War in the Indian Ocean". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
↑ Dwight R. Messimer. "Heinz-Wilhelm Eck: Siegerjustiz and the Peleus Affair". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German) IV (Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler). ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel (London: Conway Maritime Press). ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.

Bridgland, Tony, Waves of Hate, Leo Cooper, Great Britain: 2002. ISBN 0-85052-822-4.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXD2 boat U-852". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 25 March 2007.
Submarine atrocities(Archived 2009-10-25)

German Type IXD submarine

Type IXD1	U-180 U-195

Type IXD2	U-177 U-178 U-179 U-181 U-182 U-196 U-197 U-198 U-199 U-200 U-847 U-848 U-849 U-850 U-851 U-852 U-859 U-860 U-861 U-862 U-863 U-864 U-871 U-872 U-873 U-874 U-875 U-876

IXD/42	U-883 U-884

Preceded by: Type IXC Followed by: Type X

List of U-boats of Germany

German Type IX submarines

Type IXA	U-37 U-38 U-39 U-40 U-41 U-42 U-43 U-44

Type IXB	U-64 U-65 U-103 U-104 U-105 U-106 U-107 U-108 U-109 U-110 U-111 U-122 U-123 U-124

Type IXC	U-66 U-67 U-68 U-125 U-126 U-127 U-128 U-129 U-130 U-131 U-153 U-154 U-155 U-156 U-157 U-158 U-159 U-160 U-161 U-162 U-163 U-164 U-165 U-166 U-171 U-172 U-173 U-174 U-175 U-176 U-501 U-502 U-503 U-504 U-505 U-506 U-507 U-508 U-509 U-510 U-511 U-512 U-513 U-514 U-515 U-516 U-517 U-518 U-519 U-520 U-521 U-522 U-523 U-524

Type IXC/40	U-167 U-168 U-169 U-170 U-183 U-184 U-185 U-186 U-187 U-188 U-189 U-190 U-191 U-192 U-193 U-194 U-525 U-526 U-527 U-528 U-529 U-530 U-531 U-532 U-533 U-534 U-535 U-536 U-537 U-538 U-539 U-540 U-541 U-542 U-543 U-544 U-545 U-546 U-547 U-548 U-549 U-550 U-801 U-802 U-803 U-804 U-805 U-806 U-841 U-842 U-843 U-844 U-845 U-846 U-853 U-854 U-855 U-856 U-857 U-858 U-865 U-866 U-867 U-868 U-869 U-870 U-877 U-878 U-879 U-880 U-881 U-889 U-1221 U-1222 U-1223 U-1224 U-1225 U-1226 U-1227 U-1228 U-1229 U-1230 U-1231 U-1232 U-1233 U-1234 U-1235

Type IXD	U-177 U-178 U-179 U-180 U-181 U-182 U-195 U-196 U-197 U-198 U-199 U-200 U-847 U-848 U-849 U-850 U-851 U-852 U-859 U-860 U-861 U-862 U-863 U-864 U-871 U-872 U-873 U-874 U-875 U-876

Preceded by: Type VII Followed by: Type X List of U-boats of Germany

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